Equine leg casts are used for a variety of problems such as certain bone fractures, tendon and ligament injuries, wounds, and abnormal growth and development. Increasingly, veterinarians are also casting the hoofs of laminitic horses to stabilize the hoof in order to prevent further injury. Casts are often useful as first aid tools, for immobilization of limbs, to overcome tension which helps keep skin from pulling apart at wound sites, as rigid support to allow a horse to stand and use a limb during convalescence, and for protection and reduced concussion to a limb. Casts also provide external support and reinforcement for internal fixation devices such as plates or screws used in fracture repair.
One of the more serious difficulties with a typical cast is the lack of protection on the bottom of the cast so that the fiberglass or other cast material is abraded during use and the bottom becomes soiled and otherwise damaged. Another problem is that often the casting procedure fixes the leg in an awkward position. For example, when casting horses that are lying down, the hoof may inadvertently be set in a position that is unnatural for the equine. When casting, the leg is unloaded and non-weight-bearing so there is no tension on ligaments and tendons.
It is currently customary for some practitioners to use a non-ergonomically shaped wad of casting material at the base of the cast to provide a “rocker” effect. But in so doing there is no consistency and no repeatability from cast to cast. It is important to establish better standards of care so that more practitioners can perform the same procedure without need of an expensive specialist.
The present invention provides a high degree of consistency so that the level of care provided to the equine can be made without the services of an expensive podiatrist or specialist or outsourcing the patient to a referral clinic. The cast attachment of this invention is cost effective and provides consistency and repeatability. The equine leg cast attachment rocker helps to protect and stabilize the leg cast and provides more secure and natural footing for equines with a leg cast. The rocker bottom on the equine attachment allows the equine to find a comfortable position by allowing rotation or enabling a reduction of torque on the hoof.